Swimming with Sharks
by JCSwriter
Summary: All I could think of during the last few minutes was: Where are Van Pelt and Cho? Why aren’t they on the roof? And this popped into my head and was very distracting so… A slightly different ending on the rooftop. Spoilers for Russet Potatoes.


Post Russet Potatoes, all relevant spoilers apply. All recognizable characters belong to their creator. I'm only borrowing them. Any misquotes or errors are fully my own.

Author note: All I could think of during the last few minutes was: Where are Van Pelt and Cho? Why aren't they on the roof? And this popped into my head and was very distracting so… A slightly different ending on the rooftop.

Swimming with Sharks

Jane was pushing back from the edge, struggling against the much larger and stronger Wayne Rigsby. He felt his feet leave the roof surface, then regain ground. He was beginning to panic. "Sharks! Look there!" he pointed vaguely down into the parking lot below.

Wayne leaned over to look. "Wow, look at them."

"There are no sharks, the water is fine!" Lindsay snapped. "Throw him in."

Patrick began to breathe even faster. There was a gun to Lisbon's head, she couldn't intervene. Then…

"Rigsby!" Cho's voice shouted across the rooftop.

"Ken! Let's go swimming," Wayne sounded almost jubilant.

"Swimming?"

"SHUT UP!" Lindsay snarled. Then her voice went slower and soothing, "Wayne, listen to me. The water is so warm and relaxing. Toss him in then jump."

"Wayne."

Patrick gasped, "Oh God Grace."

"Grace," from Wayne it sounded almost like a prayer. "Come look at the ocean, Grace."

"I can't."

Wayne relaxed his pressure on Patrick but didn't release him. But Patrick was able to turn his head enough to see. Cho and Grace had come through the main door. Cho had his gun drawn and was standing in front of Grace. Lindsay and Cho were staring at each other over the sights of their gun. Grace's gun was in her hand, but she was looking at Patrick and Wayne. She took a single step to the side.

"Don't you move, Grace," Lindsay warned.

Cho took a side step to again place himself between Grace and Lindsay.

"Wayne," Patrick kept his voice level. Low and soft. "It's not safe for Grace up here. She could get hurt."

Wayne frowned, "Grace?"

"She's fine Wayne. She'll join you in the water. Wouldn't you like that? A warm, relaxing swim with Grace?" Lindsay urged. "Jump in."

"Wayne, I'm scared," Grace called. "I'm afraid, Wayne. Can you come get me?"

Wayne took a step towards the doorway, away from the roof's edge.

Lindsay swung the gun from Cho and Grace to point it at Patrick. "You need to stop talking. Now!"

Cho took a step forward and Lindsay twisted back to them.

"Wayne, Grace is in danger. Lindsay is going to hurt Grace." Patrick let the panic seep into his voice. "Grace is scared. Grace is in danger. Grace…"

"Please, Wayne, I'm afraid!" Grace's voice interrupted.

"Wayne, Grace needs you. She is in real danger here. She could be badly hurt." Patrick said.

"One more word Mr. Jane, and I will put a bullet through her pretty red hair," Lindsay growled. The gun moved slightly to the side, targeting Grace.

Wayne reacted instantly. He released Patrick and with an animalistic roar, he body slammed Lindsay to the rooftop. The gun spun across the concrete. Lisbon took advantage of the distraction to disarm her own threat.

Patrick slumped back slightly then sat down on the roof, leaning against the low wall. "Hell no, can't have Grace in danger but sure, let's throw Jane in with the sharks."

Wayne stepped over Lindsay with complete disregard. Cho walked around him, clearing his path to Grace.

"You should come see the water," Wayne urged. "It's so beautiful in the moonlight. I want to show you." He reached for her.

She let him take her hands in his, but resisted moving forward. "I'm still afraid, Wayne."

"Don't be. I won't let anything happen to you." He was smiling broadly. "I want to show you the ocean." He pulled her along with him back toward Patrick and the roof edge. Patrick shifted to get his weakened knees back under him.

"Why don't we go sit and talk for awhile instead?" she urged. "We could go back down and…"

"No," Wayne shook his head with a look of angry disappointment in his features. "No. Come see the water."

Grace freed one hand and reached to grip his upper arm, "It's OK Wayne. We'll see the…"

Wayne froze and his face tightened into confusion. "What? Van Pelt? What's going on? How did I get here? Where is here? What's going on?"

"You asked that already," Grace replied levelly. "Can I have my hand back?"

He dropped her hand like it burned him and stepped back to look around. "What in the hell is going on?"

Cho had yanked Lindsay to her feet and cuffed her. "It's a long story. Come with me and I'll explain."

"What did she do?" Wayne wanted to know as he helped Cho escort her off the roof.

Lisbon was going through the door with her own prisoner. "Jane?" Lisbon called. "You OK?"

"Just need a minute," he replied.

"You and Van Pelt get him untied," she indicated with a jerk of her chin.

Patrick took a couple of steadying breaths. Grace came to him and offered her hands. He accepted them and let her help pull him to his feet. "Thanks. Wow, thought I was really going over the edge this time." He kept hold of her hand to steady himself as he looked down the long drop to the concrete below.

She swallowed hard, "Yeah."

"You don't like heights," he observed. He still had her hand in his, but didn't force her any closer. But he also didn't let her pull any further away.

"Not really."

"But you came up anyway. Even after I specifically told you and Cho both that it might be dangerous. I inadvertently switched Rigsby's focus onto you. I told you that he might be so far under that he might hurt you."

"Inadvertently?"

"OK. So completely advertently," he grinned with a sparkle back in his eyes.

She gave him a sweet small smile in return.

"But seriously Grace. What if he'd tried to take you over the edge with him? Convinced he was taking you swimming, even though I had him believing there were sharks."

She shrugged, "I've been able to swim since I was four. And I've worked with you for nine months now, how much worse could a few sharks be?"

"Oh that's cold," he lifted her hand to kiss the back of it. "I knew there was a little bitch in there somewhere. I'm so proud." A muffled scream interrupted them. "Oh shut up, we're coming. Jeez. He's just been tied up, gagged, and knocked around a bit. You'd think he'd be a little more patient with the people who came to rescue him."

"Maybe we should just rescue him. And you know, get off this roof."

"Whatever you say."

"So what snapped Rigsby out of it? Didn't you try a hand on his arm when we were sitting on the bench?"

"Guess it just took a woman's touch."

"Will he remember what happened?"

"He might."

"He might blame you… for some of it."

The grin was back, "Oh no my sweet Grace, he will definitely thank me for some of it."


End file.
